Homemade Almond Milk

Hi y’all! Is everyone looking forward to a wonderful weekend? The weather has been gorgeous in Atlanta and there are all sorts of fun festivals going on around town. We love to spend as much time outdoors before the sweltering heat gets here, so having convenient and easy recipes that I can make ahead to save time on the weekends is a must!

I go through a lot of almond milk in our house. After reading a number of the news reports about the quality of the almond milk on the market, I found that some of the most popular brands have actually a very low percentage of almonds and mostly consist of water, sugar, sunflower lecithin, and carrageenan. If you aren’t familiar with carrageenans, a little bit of google research found the following.

“Carrageenans or carrageenins are a family of linear sulfated polysaccharides that are extracted from red edible seaweeds. They are widely used in the food industry, for their gelling, thickening, and stabilizing properties. It is important to note that Carrageenan is not digestible and has no nutritional value. It is often used because it thickens and emulsifies products and it is often found even in organic and “natural” products.”

If you want to buy a better quality almond milk that actually contains (*call me crazy*) almonds, you end up paying a pretty penny. I did a lot of research and combined a couple of my favorite recipes into this gem! The final product offers a delicious, creamy AND inexpensive make at home almond milk! You’ll be thanking me later 😉 Enjoy y’all!

Instructions:

Add your soaked almonds, water, dates, salt and vanilla to a high speed blender and blend until creamy and smooth. Keep it running for at least 1-2 minutes so you get the most out of your almonds.

Strain using a nut milk bag, thin dish towel or cheesecloth. If using a cheesecloth or dishtowel, simply lay a clean dish towel over a mixing bowl, pour over the almond milk, and carefully gather the corners and lift up. Then squeeze until all of the liquid is extracted.) If using a nut milk bag, slowly pour almond milk into bag over bowl and squeeze until all of the liquid is extracted. Discard pulp, or save for adding to baked goods (especially crackers).

(This seriously makes me giggle every time I look at it!)

Transfer milk to a jar or covered bottle and refrigerate. Will keep for up to a few days, though best when fresh. Shake well before drinking as it tends to separate.

You can also make other flavors, including strawberry, banana or chocolate!

Notes:

*Nutrition information is a rough estimate for 1/2 cup of 10 total servings.